Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Development) | HHS 2024 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0088

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2024 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0088

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Development) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Its overall purpose is to support work that strengthens how people with disabilities live, work, and participate in their communities by improving rehabilitation knowledge, tools, and practices authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). The program is aimed especially at benefiting individuals with disabilities who have the greatest support needs, with an emphasis on outcomes that promote full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and long-term economic and social self-sufficiency.

Under this specific priority area, applicants are required to propose a development-focused project intended to improve the health and functioning of people with disabilities. In practical terms, this is not just basic research; it is work that takes what is already known from research and turns it into something usable. Projects should use established evidence and understanding to create materials, devices, systems, or methods that are directly beneficial to the target population. The opportunity explicitly anticipates hands-on development activities such as designing and building prototypes, creating processes or protocols, and refining tools or approaches so they can be applied in real-world rehabilitation, health, and community contexts. While the broader DRRP program can include research, demonstrations, training, and related activities (including international activities in general), this particular competition is centered on development that translates knowledge into tangible solutions.

NIDILRR describes three field-initiated DRRP award types in the broader health and function domain: research projects, development projects, or combined research-and-development projects. Which type gets funded depends on how applications score and rank during peer review. For this posting, the emphasized pathway is the development track, meaning proposals should be built around creating and testing practical deliverables rather than primarily generating new theory or observational findings.

The award is structured as a 60-month project period, broken into five separate 12-month budget periods, which typically means annual continuation funding is tied to satisfactory progress and compliance each year. The funding ceiling is $500,000 (per budget period, as commonly presented in these announcements), and the opportunity lists an expectation of one award under this specific competition. The original closing date for applications was April 8, 2024, and the opportunity was created on February 7, 2024. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with the program is 93.433.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations and public entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as listed); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits, other than small businesses); and other eligible entities described in the announcement. Faith-based and community organizations are eligible as long as they meet the stated requirements. Foreign entities are not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement, which means applicants must be domestic organizations even if aspects of the work involve international knowledge-sharing or related activities in a broader program sense.

Overall, this opportunity is designed for applicants that can move beyond identifying problems and instead build, refine, and deliver practical rehabilitation-related innovations that measurably improve health and function for people with disabilities. Competitive projects will typically be those that are clearly grounded in prior evidence, have a well-defined target population and use context, and propose concrete products or methods (with prototypes or implementable processes) that can realistically improve outcomes and strengthen rehabilitation services and supports.

• The Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Development)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.433.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for HHS 2024 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0088

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